History

The Louvre was built by Philippe Auguste in 1204 and was originally the royal château and later transformed by Charles V between 1364 and 1380 and was entirely rebuilt from the time of François I to the 19th century.  Once upon a time a palace of French kings and princes, the Louvre is today the Palace of Arts and holds one of the richest museums in the world. Its collection, which ranges from Egyptian art of 5000 BC to nineteenth-century work, is divided into seven departments: Oriental and Islamic Antiquities; Egyptian Antiquities; Greek, Roman and Etruscan Antiquities; Painting; Sculpture; Decorative Arts; and Graphic Arts.

Mitterands contribution to the Louvre

In 1981 President Miterrand initiated a rehabilitation project called Le Grand Louvre. The visible part of this iceberg like building-site, being the Glass Pyramid designed by famous architect Ieoh Ming Pei, opens the outstanding perspective toward the Grande Arche de la Défense with the Arc de Triomphe in the middle. The Pyramid gives now access to the main entrance, letting a delightful golden light filter through the glass surface illuminating the floor below.

What's new

The huge renovation of Le Grand Louvre which started in 1983 leads to an increase of 22 000 square meters.  The basement is now occupied by the remains of the medieval castle originally a big keep part of the defensive wall built under Philippe August in 1190 which have been excavated and displayed below the Cour Carrée. Under the glass pyramid leading to the main entrance of the Hall Napoléon starts the shopping gallery leading to several restaurants and cafeterias of the Galerie du Carrousel under the reversed pyramid.  The Aile Richelieu is fully accessible to wheel-chair visitors. Temporary exhibits are displayed below the pyramid in the Hall Napoléon and in Aile Richelieu and Aile Sully.

To help you find your way, the three wings are colour coded. Each level is also colour coded and divided into ten sections and each room is numbered. In 1993 the Museum celebrated the bicentenary of its opening, and an extension to the Richelieu Wing opened to celebrate the event. The upheaval this has caused will affect the building through the decade, so changes and closures are expected.